Book Review: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows and my love affair with letter-writing

So much has been said and written about WWII, yet it continues to amaze me, that there is always another story, another perspective to share.

Guernsey is a beautiful book. It takes you to a side story of the war, in an in-between and almost forgotten place: The English Channel Islands, between England and France, specifically the island called Guernsey. Not really here nor there, yet unfortunately captured by the Germans in WWII.

This is an epistolary novel, written as a series of letters. The way the book unfolds, with the written letters, is dear to my heart. It celebrates the long-lost practice of letter writing, which holds so much in it. I myself used to write and receive actual “snail-mail” letters as a young girl (wow! I know that makes me sound so old) but I really did love it.

*****

While writing letters I do not think that I gave it too much thought. I just wrote a lot and to many people. It felt natural and right. Nowadays, looking back, I am aware of this being special and probably unusual, and perhaps this is where my love for writing was born.

It all began with moving. As a girl, my family moved several times – first between continents and later between different cities. There was always someone to miss, and there was always a wish and a need to keep in touch. When we grew up the true art was in letter writing. Wait a minute, stop everything – I’m really not that old! We had home phones of course and cell-phones were beginning and there was e-mail (though it took some time until this was accessible for everyone). Yet there is nothing like the written letter, on physical paper, in your own personal hand-writing to convey ideas, feelings, emotions and thoughts. An e-mail cannot replace this and even less so a text message.

I upgraded this art and I would choose the right stationary, pens, markers, add illustrations, drawings, special stickers, newspaper and magazine clippings with patterns; an entire universe.

It’s hard to believe, but in our storeroom I have a box, not a small one, filled with real, physical letters that I received in reply to my letters. Unfortunately, these of course are not letters that I wrote, I have no documentation of that, but there are many letters from many people with whom I corresponded over the years. It’s intriguing. I remember when my daughters first saw this box, they were amazed. Nowadays it is indeed difficult to even imagine the actual art of letter writing…snail-mail.

*****

The letters in this book have the essence of this long-forgotten art. Juliet is a young writer, very much trying to put back the pieces of her life after the war, like many other Londoners. She has been successful as a writer, but now she seems to be seeking her next chapter – in her writing and even more so in her life. An unexpected letter from a stranger changes her course and introduces her to a special island, Guernsey, which went through many struggles during the war and to a group of unique, one-of-a-kind yet very warm people. The love of the written word brings them together in an honest and welcoming way. One can convey things in letters sometimes better than in other forms of communication, and the reader gets a glimpse into the hearts of these letter-writers. This is a beautifully written book. Highly recommended.  

Favorite Quote from the book:

“I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some secret sort of homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers. How delightful if that were true.” (pg. 9).